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Japan's foreign minister, Mr Kiichi Aichi, told the sixth Ministerial conference for the Economic Development of S.E. Asia yesterday (Monday) that Japan would like to see increased trade with South East Asian nations.

In a statement issued after the conference's opening yesterday, Mr Aichi said Japan would also like to extend technical and financial cooperation in feasibility studies on specific industrial projects.

The tree-day meeting in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, is being attended by nine countries: South Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. Cambodia was admitted yesterday.

The conference was opened by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, who reiterated his call for a neutral South East Asia and said the havoc of war had prevented the development of some countries in the area.

Tun Razak warned of the wasteful use of energies for war which should have been channelled for constructive purposes.

The Malaysian Prime Minister predicted Japan's economic involvement in the region would increase considerably this decade and indications were that by 1975, about 30 per cent of South East Asia's exports would go to Japan which in turn would supply 40 per cent of the imports.

The conference later went into closed session. A spokesman said afterwards that it had discussed regional projects on transport and communications, a South East Asian Fisheries Development Centre with an accompanying Aqua-Culture department.